Beware the Temptations of Niffler Ownership
by ViolaMoon
Summary: Hagrid discovers a baby niffler in his pumpkin patch and considers keeping it as a pet. WARNING: adorable Nifflers and Niffler-induced chaos. This story was written for the First Round of the Seventh Season of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition as Chaser 1 for The Tutshill Tornados.


**This story was written for the First Round of the Seventh Season of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. I'm writing as Chaser 1 for The Tutshill Tornados.**

**Name of the round: Snake Humour**

**These are the prompts I'm using to as a chaser to score some extra points: 9: expectations 12: Niffler & 13: Hagrid**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the world J.K. Rowling has created. It's all hers, from Diagon Alley to Hogwarts to all the people living there.**

**Thanks to my fantastic team for betaing!**

**Words: 2011**

**WARNING: adorable Nifflers and Niffler-induced chaos.**

The sun shone brightly on the hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest where the Hogwarts' gamekeeper Hagrid was busy caring for the school's pumpkins. Halloween was only a month away, and he needed them to grow big and strong for the annual feast.

Despite it being the end of September, Hagrid could work outside without his jacket; it was, as the Muggles called it, an Indian summer. The half-giant patted his sweaty brow with a towel as he watered the pumpkins. The heat had lead to a minor drought and therefore Hagrid had to make sure they got plenty of water. It would be difficult to get them to grow to a reasonable size otherwise.

Satisfied with his work, Hagrid collected his watering can and was about to put it away when he heard a small whimpering sound. Looking carefully around, he began searching for the source of the noise. It was hard to hear, but he could tell that it was coming from ground-height, either just above or below the soil.

He honed in on the whimpering, trying at the same time to pinpoint what was making the sound. It seemed to be coming from behind the pumpkin he'd just watered. Gingerly moving around it, he saw a little lump of brown fur poking just out of the soil.

Quickly surveying the ground around it, Hagrid could see that the creature was alone, likely lost, and therefore he didn't hesitate to pick it up. "Well, hello there little fella," he said, examining the sorry thing. Other than the brown fur, the creature had a tuft of white around its neck, a long snout and clawed feet. It was a Niffler. A baby one at that.

"Where did you come from, little one? I wonder where your mummy is," he said, looking around at the patches of dirt.

Nifflers had burrows as deep as twenty feet underground, so it was strange that the poor creature had just appeared in his pumpkin patch. He would have noticed a Niffler burrow by now, but if Hagrid could reunite the poor thing with its mother, he would check just in case.

However, the reasons for the creature's presence would have to remain a mystery for now. He would continue looking for the burrow later. The unfortunate thing was hot, frightened, and most likely hungry. Taking the Niffler inside, Hagrid placed it in a large wooden bowl so it wouldn't run away while he found it something to eat. He scrounged up some magical creature feed and a clean towel he moistened in the sink. Placing a handful of the food on the table, he lifted the creature out of the bowl. Hagrid watched as it cautiously sniffed the food before gobbling it down.

Once it was occupied with eating, Hagrid began trying to clean it and cool it off by wiping the Niffler down with the towel. It stopped for a moment, alarmed at the wet sensation but was soon enticed by the food again and let him go about his business. Hagrid found it difficult to withstand the cuteness before him; many knew of his affinity for magical creatures and Nifflers were no exception. He had not encountered one before in his time at Hogwarts and had always wanted to give one a home even though they were not 'recommended as pets' (according to the Ministry) as they liked to steal things.

"Codswallop," Hagrid muttered to himself. "Yeh wouldn' steal anythin', would yeh Nigel?" The young Niffler looked up at him momentarily and snorted before continuing to eat. That was as good an answer as anything; the ministry must be wrong about Nifflers. He expected the Niffler to be a sweet little companion who liked shiny objects. He imagined having cuddles with Nigel in the evening, giving him little trinkets to keep him from going too amok and finding piles of gold and other treasures hidden in his hut from Nigel's adventures. What could be so wrong with that?

He knew he shouldn't, but Hagrid couldn't help himself. Nigel was just too adorable not to name and keep, at least for a little while. Only until he could find the burrow and his mummy.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hagrid took to carrying Nigel around in his pocket. It didn't take too long for problems to arise. One day, he was visiting Dumbledore for a spot of afternoon tea when Nigel slipped loose from his pocket and proceeded to scarf a multitude of fine items from Dumbledore's office into his pouch before Hagrid and the professor caught him, forcing him to drop everything he was carrying.

"Hagrid…" Dumbledore sighed. "Where did you get the Niffler?"

Hagrid held Nigel in his hands to prevent him from going on another rampage. "I found him abandoned in the pumpkin patch," he said, "half starved and scared, the poor lad."

He scratched the creature on the top of his head with a giant finger. "I know I shouldn' keep him, but I want ter look after him, at least until he has his strength up." Hagrid peered down at Nigel, his eyes sparkling with love as a hint of a smile crossed his lips. "He can't be as bad as everyone says. Yeh, he loves a bit o' treasure, but who doesn't?"

Dumbledore gave an exasperated sigh. "Hagrid, Nifflers are adorable, yes, but their thirst for treasure make them very destructive. Headmaster Dippet is unlikely to let you keep him."

Hagrid knew deep down that this was right. He didn't like it, but Headmaster Dippet was very strict when it came to letting Hagrid adopt creatures. Especially after the Chamber of Secrets incident. But surely, one look at this adorable little fella would change the headmaster's mind. He petted Nigel who snorted at him with affection.

"We could take him to my old friend Newt Scamander, Hagrid," Dumbledore said, reaching over to scratch Nigel on top of his head, "He has a whole colony of them. Nigel would be thrilled to be there and you could find no one better to look after him than Newt."

"Well, I suppose we could visit him and check it out," Hagrid agreed with a sigh, he ran a finger over the little creature's fur and noticed that he was still very thin. "At the very least, Newt could check him out, make sure he's doin' alrigh'."

He wanted to believe that Nigel would not grow up to be a disruptive creature and that he would always be his adorable self, but he was willing to meet with Newt. He had always wanted to meet the man who shared his love of magical creatures.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Over the next week, Hagrid kept a close eye on Nigel. There was still no sign of the burrow or his mummy. Hagrid was beginning to see what Dumbledore meant about him becoming a disruptive creature. Twice had Nigel escaped his 'cage' and gone on a rampage in the school. Once in the trophy room, where he had somehow managed to swallow a trophy twice the size of himself much to Hagrid's amazement. The second time he had squeezed himself into the tube containing the house points for Hufflepuff and gobbled up all the diamonds.

After marching the now 'expelled from Hogwarts' Niffler back down to his hut, Hagrid had quickly penned a message to Dumbledore asking him to go with him to meet Newt the next day. Hagrid tied the door shut on Nigel's cage and looked at him. "It's yer own fault, ye cheeky blighter. Why'd ye have to go and eat Hufflepuff's house points?" Nigel just gave an innocent snort in response, looking up at Hagrid as if to say 'Who me? I couldn't possibly be naughty'. "Don' look at me like tha'. Ye know what ye did." Hagrid had no choice now, Nigel needed a new home and a good thing too as Hagrid was tired of chasing after him everywhere despite how cute the creature was.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, Hagrid and Dumbledore arrived with Nigel safely secured in his cage in front of the Scamander residence. They knocked on the door and waited. "I wrote to Newt to tell him we were coming," Dumbledore told Hagrid as they waited by the door to the Scamander house. Nigel was in his cage, secure tightly with both rope and with Dumbledores help: a locking charm. They weren't going to take any chances with the little troublemaker.

There came a crash and then a flustered man opened the door. He was built like a beanpole with dark red hair, flecked with silver. His eyes, however, seemed forever young. "Dumbledore, good to see you," he said softly before taking a step back and noticing that Hagrid was beside him with the Niffler. He seemed to be evaluating Hagrid like he was an impressive specimen.

"You must be Hagrid. You're half-giant, correct?"

Hagrid just nodded. He wasn't used to making a positive first impression and, while he liked that Mr Scamander seemed friendly, he wasn't too keen on his investigative examination.

"Oh, and the Niffler!" he said, taking the cage from Hagrid without even asking.

Mr Scamander wandered into the house, leaving the door ajar, apparently forgetting to invite them in. Hagrid wondered whether he was too lost in his own thought processes to think about social pleasantries. Dumbledore followed him inside and beckoned Hagrid to accompany him. It was a bit of squeeze, but when they finally found Mr Scamander, he was in a magically enlarged basement full of creatures even Hagrid hadn't heard of. Hagrid was awestruck by the array of animals and began to look around at all the animals with abandon and curiosity.

"He is in good condition. You've looked after him well!" Mr Scamander finally spoke, taking Nigel out of his cage. "He is well fed and happy. Dumbledore mentioned that you found him in your pumpkin patch?"

"Yeah, the little chappie was hidin' behind one of my pumpkins. I found no burrow in the area," he said with a shrug.

"Curious," Newt said, looking at the Niffler. "Well, he has been away from his mother long enough that she won't accept him back." He gave the Niffler a little tickle under its snout. "He can stay here with my Nifflers; he will be very content here and can't get into too much trouble, unlike at Hogwarts."

"Well if you think it's best, Mr Scamander." Hagrid sniffed. "His name is Nigel, by the way." The gentle giant began to tear up. "He likes pumpkin seeds, must've bin stealing 'em from my pumpkin patch, and he loves a good bedtime story," he blubbered.

During this time, Dumbledore had been examining the bowtruckles and seemed to be having quite the conversation with them. He pulled away and placed a hand on Hagrid's arm. "It's all right, you can come to visit him and his friends."

Mr Scamander nodded, "Yes, of course! You are more than welcome and we can talk about the other creatures as well. I am sure you would love to learn about what else I have down here," he said, looking at Hagrid like they were two kindred spirits, smiling as they both watched Nigel join in playing with the other baby Nifflers. Hagrid could see that they shared a common passion for magical creatures and he could while away hours upon hours down here just observing the creatures.

"Well alrigh' then, that's settled. I can see that Nigel will be happy here so… he can stay." Hagrid nodded determinedly.

He wanted to keep Nigel more than anything; however, he could see that his expectations about Nifflers had been wrong. They were adorable, and he still believed that they were misunderstood, but their needs weren't something he could provide for. He loved the little guy too much to keep him as a pet when it would do him more harm than good. Just like with Aragog and the werewolf pups, he loved Nigel so much that he would let him go.


End file.
